2018 Forty Eight Special suspension upgrade
Road Captain
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 590
Likes: 201
From: Southern Ontario
There should be one or two dots showing on the side of the shocks based on your weight. Is that how you have it set?
My 2017 Iron, same rear shocks as yours I believe, is not bouncy and I'm 145 lbs.
My 2017 Iron, same rear shocks as yours I believe, is not bouncy and I'm 145 lbs.
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 78
Likes: 23
From: Northern Virginia
So, here's a few followup questions:
- What is the length of the stock shock? I assume I have to remove (or at least unweight) the shock to measure this accurately, so I was hoping someone already knows it from experience.
- How much length can I add before I either (1) start altering the way the bike handles due to other angles being altered and (2) need a longer kickstand? My gut tells me adding an inch should keep me on the right side of these, and getting a one-inch-longer, higher quality shock like a Legend or Ohlins (or, even a Progressive) would notably improve the ride.
- I realize simply changing to a different, higher-quality shock design might also improve handling for other reasons even if it alters angles on the bike due to lighting the back end. To that end, I'm willing to consider a more comprehensive approach and make changes on both ends of the bike, but I'm even more confused about what I can do up front just because I haven't looked into it as much yet. But if someone out there did a front/ear upgrade to a Forty Eight that they really liked, I'd like to hear about it.
Hello, all!
I just bought an '18 Forty Eight Special a couple weeks ago (first bike) and after about 300 miles I can already tell that it could use a better suspension. That said, here a a few important details up front:
Thoughts, experiences, recommendations?
I just bought an '18 Forty Eight Special a couple weeks ago (first bike) and after about 300 miles I can already tell that it could use a better suspension. That said, here a a few important details up front:
- I bought it under the "Freedom to Ride" Sporty promotion, so it's more likely that not at this point that I will trade up within the year, probably to something that can carry more than just me (I already use a backpack to go to and from work on it, which works but is not ideal).
- My inseam is around 32" and I weight about 165 lbs. I can easily flat-foot the bike at its current height.
- I do not plan to ride this bike two-up. Already switched saddles once and have no plans to do it again. I'll save that for the next bike.
Thoughts, experiences, recommendations?
Here are some very informative Reports on Suspension-
Rear Suspension LINK
Front Suspension LINK
These are both recommended reading before spending any money or time on suspension changes.
On Sportys especially, we have noticed that the rear stock shocks feel much better AFTER the front suspension is improved.
This is because when hitting a bump with the stock front suspension, it compresses the forks (unloading the rear shocks). Since the forks rebound too slowly, the rear shocks are still unloaded when the rear wheel hits the same bump. This makes the rear shocks feel much stiffer than they would if the front suspension was functioning better.
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DKCustomProducts.com
DKCustomProducts.com
- 11"
- changes the minute you change the length. you are altering the how much weight is put on the frontend
- maybe play with the stock settings. the emulsion shocks are not junk. other brands sel them for 500-600. you can go with some fully adjustables like the ohlins blackline but, play with the stockers before whipping out that wallet
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 249
Likes: 72
From: New York
Get a new seat. Maybe one with some shock absorption and spine support. Saddlegel from saddlemen is nice. They cost less than shocks and don't reqiuer much time for installation. Just a thought.
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 78
Likes: 23
From: Northern Virginia
I actually did that already, although it was to move me forward more than give me more cushion. But it's worth looking into. I've heard a lot of good about Saddlemen. The one good thing I should add is that I initially worried that the ride on this bike might trigger my back pain once I actually started riding it (beyond the test ride). So far, that hasn't happened.